


Tutor My Heart

by Momma_Time



Series: Random Tumblr Crap [9]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: But Not Much, M/M, Slight Age Difference, The nanny/tutor au no one asked for, hamwash - Freeform, idk how else to target this, this is for badromantics on tumblr, this is their fault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-09-28 05:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10074623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momma_Time/pseuds/Momma_Time
Summary: Widower George Washington needs a stay-at-home tutor/nanny for his children.Enter one Alexander Hamilton.





	1. The Help

**Author's Note:**

> George is about 35-ish in this and Alex is 25-ish.  
> This first chapter is super short, but it's getting the thing started up, 'aight? Bear with me.

Patsy and Jack were the pride of George's life. They were all he had left of his wife, and he treasured them immensely. George couldn't find a private tutor that he liked, however. They lived on an old plantation that had been passed down through his family for several generations. He worked in the city AND DC, depending on the time of year. As a senator for his state, George was a busy man. But, he always tried to make time for his children.  
  
They were six and ten.  
  
With how out of the way they were, he knew it would be easier to have someone come to the plantation to teach them rather than have them drive an hour to the nearest school.  
  
It wasn't until a friend of his recommended a young man that graduated with one of his nieces that he may have found the right one. "Brilliant," Steuben had told him. He'd passed on the man's resume to George, and Steuben was right. The guy was brilliant, accomplished for his young age, clean record, grew up in an orphanage and volunteered there after he went to college, was offered a scholarship to several well-known Ivy League universities, and the list went on. George didn't think he could have found better, and after so many interviews, he felt a small sense of relief at having maybe found the solution.  
  
So he had one of his assistants call the young man and ask him if he were interested in working for the senator.  
  
A time was set for an interview.  
  
\--  
  
Alexander Hamilton was to meet George at his office in the city, dressed to the best of his ability. He wasn't exactly a rich kid. Fresh out of college with a few loans, fighting to get a job in journalism, and hoping that he can pay the rent. Nice clothes weren't usually his first choice in purchases. But he did his best.  
  
He was asked to wait outside George's office until he'd finished with someone else.  
  
Finally, George managed to finish his meeting and get rid of the guy to start his time with the young man he hoped to make his new tutor or nanny or...whatever he was supposed to call the position.  
  
It was when the young man walked in that George knew he was up shit's creek. Short and dark hair, even darker eyes, a slight air of arrogance but not enough to be off-putting. Hamilton was on the short side of average, looked as if he never got enough sleep, but he had a shy smile that had George melting. And then berating himself for thinking so when he was still grieving over Martha. It'd been several years now, but that didn't make it any easier for him, didn't lessen the slight pang of guilt.  
  
"Good afternoon Mr. Hamilton." He stood and met him on the other side of the desk, shaking Alex's hand before gesturing to a seat. George chose to sit in the one next to him rather than from behind his desk. He did this with his interns and employees when he interviewed them; George didn't want to scare them off.  
  
"Good afternoon, sir." Alex took a seat and tried to get comfortable without slouching; he knew he had terrible posture.  
  
With that, the interview began. There was a lot that Alex wouldn't say about his childhood; it was too personal, but he was happy to share his life from the time he arrived at the orphanage through college. He'd been through a lot. George knew that much, but he didn't pry and began to ask him about some of his interests and hobbies to finish off the interview. It seemed to calm the young man, who suddenly went on a tangent about this or that issue that he had with something; he talked with his hands and spoke faster than George could keep up. It was endearing to see Alex's face light up when he talked about something he enjoyed.  
  
George decided to introduce him to his kids and invited him over for dinner on Friday to meet them. That would be the final test.  
  
Alex lit up at that, "Oh I can't wait to meet them! But uh, I don't have any way to get there, sir."  
  
George waved it off, "I'll send someone to pick you up." He grabbed one of his cards from his desk and scribbled out his personal cell phone number. "Here, text me your address and I'll send you the details of the time and all."  
  
"Thank you, sir." Alex immediately put the car in his pocket with his cellphone to type the number in. "I have a question, though. Will someone be picking me up and driving me back every day or...?"  
  
"Oh, no. You will stay with us if that's not a problem. I need a live-in if you're okay with that."  
  
"And I assume my rent would come out of my paycheck?"  
  
"Alexander, you working for me is rent enough. You'll be paid in full." George had more than enough to afford Alexander living with them rent free.  
  
"That works for me." Alex smiled warmly at George, and George felt himself melting again. And it was settled.


	2. Kids, Am I Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex meets the kids.  
> George finds out that Alex enjoys Legos.  
> Alex falls in love with the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know much about government or curriculums so, you know, pretend that I know what I'm saying/doing.

Alex was nervous. He had been chosen by a Virginian senator to tutor his kids, a job that doubled as a live-in nanny, and he was getting free housing out of it; he couldn't ask for better. He talked to his friend Lafayette about him, made sure that he was the first to know, and while he was sad that Alex wouldn't be in the city anymore, he was still happy for Alex. And apparently, he knew Washington from years ago. His family had known Washington's, and they'd met once when Lafayette was a little boy.  
  
"He was a good guy, at the time at least, and he's highly favored by the people of Virginia. You two should get along swimmingly."  
  
And the upside? Because he wouldn't be paying for rent or food and it wouldn't be deducted from his paycheck, he could finally funnel more money into his savings and retirement accounts for later. He couldn't afford more than a few dollars a paycheck before. 50k a year after his sign-on bonus? Holy shit, he'd be set. And for a nanny job? Why didn't he look for something like this sooner? His life would have been so much easier.  
  
The senator had sent him a text, like he said he would, with the time and reminder of the date, and then a request for Alex to bring things to spend the night. If he was going to do a "tryout" with the kids, he needed to be there for longer than a few hours. Alex jumped on the chance. Hey, whatever cemented his bid for the job.  
  
So, when a sleek, black car pulled up in front of the apartment he shared with his friends, Alex hugged them, asked them to wish him luck, and then he was bolting out the door. He couldn't be late, not today. Alex knew the drive would take an hour or so depending on the traffic, and so he pulled out his laptop and started working on an article that he'd been asked to ghost write for someone. He hated ghostwriting. The credit for weeks of work (depending on the assignment) went to someone else, who did little more than give him a simple outline for what they wanted.  
  
When they arrived, Alex could only stare out the window at the beautiful scenery of the fields around the house and the line of trees along the long drive to the house. The house was just as grand, and he had to stop and stare up at it, not realizing how long he was taking until he heard someone clear their throats. He snapped out of it to find Washington standing on the stairway to the porch. Alex blinked slowly and then shook his head slightly, grabbing his bag and scurrying up the path to the porch. Washington seemed amused by this but didn't comment on it as he greeted Alex and led him inside.  
  
They were met by the two children he would be looking after. They were absolutely adorable, but Alex assumed that they took after their mother, rather than Washington. The pair tried to stand there like little soldiers almost, in a line and proper. Alex had to suppress a grin at that. How in the hell did Washington train them to do that?  
  
"Jack, Patsy? This is Mr. Alex. Alex; these are my pride and joy, Jack and Patsy." The kids mumbled out shy hellos, but Alex beamed at them.  
  
"Well, good evening Mr. Jack and Miss Patsy." He paused before commenting, "You don't have to be formal, you know. I'm pretty chill about it."  
  
Patsy, the younger, came forward curiously and held out her hand. It was adorable, how she was trying her best to use her manners anyway. "Hello, Mr. Alex."  
  
Dramatically, Alex gave her a bow before taking her hand to kiss the top of it. "Pleasure to meet you, princess." That got a giggle out of the six-year-old, who protested that she wasn't a princess. "Oh? You were so kind that I thought you were."  
  
"No! I wanna be."  
  
Alex grinned at that and knelt, "Well, maybe we can dress you up like one. No one has to know that you're not a real princess."  
  
Patsy seemed happy with the idea and bounded to her father, "Daddy can I be a princess?"  
  
Washington snorted and scooped her up, "You already are one, but sure. You can be a princess." The domestic sight of them did NOT make Alex melt with an internal "awww."  
  
Jack came forward next but didn't hold a hand out to shake, tilting his head and squinting his eyes as he tried to assess what kind of man Alex was. It would have been cute if it didn't have him wondering how damn smart the kid was. "You're not very old."  
  
"Jack." Washington was warning him against it, but Alex waved it off.  
  
"Nah, it's fine. I'm twenty-five. I just look young for my age." Alex had a bit of a baby face, and he knew it. Oh well, he'd look great when he was old.

"Oh."  
  
Washington told the kids that they could play for a bit until he was done giving Alex a tour of the house. They scampered off, leaving Alex to turn to Washington for direction. Washington had Alex leave his stuff at the door, and one of the staff would take it to the guest room for him while they did their thing. Alex was shown the sitting room, dining room, kitchen, the parlor, library (Alex may have been reluctant to leave the library), and then took him upstairs to see where the kids were, where Alex would be, the office, and where Washington's room was. After the tour of the inside of the home was over, Washington took Alex outside to show him where the kids were and were not allowed to go.  
  
Alex was instantly accosted by a slew of dogs that came bounding across the only fenced in portion of the grounds, tails wagging hard enough to have their bodies shaking with the motion. He knelt and tried to pet all of them, laughing quietly as he did, and finally nudged them away so that he could continue the tour with Washington. They didn't go away, however, and followed them around while Washington gave Alex a full history of the plantation and anything else he could come up with that was noteworthy.  
  
"You're telling me a lot about this place for this to be a test of whether or not I'd be a good fit for your kids, sir," Alex commented as they headed back to the house.  
  
Washington hummed, and Alex noted the small smile he wore as he shrugged, "I have faith in you."  
  
No pressure there.  
  
\--  
  
It was nice to see Patsy getting along with Alex, and Jack wasn't terribly rude to him; Alex didn't seem to mind it. George took that as a good sign as Jack was a bit of a handful when he wanted to be. Sharp as could be, but he had a love of finding trouble. Alex would need to keep a close eye on him.  
  
He trusted Steuben's recommendation, and after watching Alex interact with Patsy, just for the few minutes that they did, it was enough to solidify his comfort with the choice. Alex's attentiveness to whatever Washington told him about the place was a nice bonus; at least he knew the guy would listen to him...or was willing to learn. Maybe he just knew how to fake interest, but the way Alex seemed to stare at the library longingly when Washington went to move on nixed that one for him. Alex enjoyed learning, would soak up information like a sponge.  
  
He knew he was hiring Alex before he asked.  
  
When they went back inside, George took Alex back up to the kids' rooms to play around a little until dinner was ready. Like a child himself, Alex hopped on the chance to play Legos with Jack. Patsy, wanting to play with the Legos too.  
  
"Had I known that you guys liked Legos, I would have brought a few kits of my own. They're from the Hobbit."  
  
Jack's face lit up, "I love those movies! I like Smaug the most. The dwarves are pretty cool, though."  
  
"Really? It's one of my favorites." Alex liked the kid already, Washington could tell. With a smile, he left them be for a little while, trusting that they'd be just fine.  
  
\--  
  
"Have you read the books?" Both kids shook their heads no, and Alex grinned at that. "Well, if I get to stay long term, then I might have to read them to you guys at bedtime. I think you'd really like them." They seemed amenable to the idea, and the three went back to their Legos.  
  
Patsy had the brilliant idea of putting together a house, while Jack followed a little guide to make a replica of Da Vinci's flying machine. Alex was impressed with both, and surprised that Jack knew about the machine at all; it started up a slew of ideas for what he could teach them and how they could do it. Alex whipped out his phone and sent a quick text to Washington.  
  
**How do you feel about me taking them to museums as part of their curriculum?**  
  
He didn't have to wait long until Washington texted him back.  
  
**I like that idea. The car and driver and funds will be available to you when you need it.**  
  
He smiled to himself, thought of an answer, and then sent one more.  
  
**Don't think that you're getting away with not coming along on your days off Senator Washington. I'm happy to teach them, but I'll be dragging your sorry self with us when you have the time. They'd like to see you too.**  
  
**Them or you?**  
  
Alex felt his face warm and didn't know how to respond.For now, he kept silent and went back to playing with the kids. Was the senator flirting with him? Oh shit, it was like one of those TV dramas where the rich guy hooks up with the nanny. Like hell would he fit into that stereotype, no matter how wonderfully Washington pulled off the Hot Dad look.  
  
It was a little while later that one of the house staff came into the room and informed them that dinner was ready. The kids scrambled to their feet and raced out of the bedroom to dinner. Alex snorted with laughter and caught the woman who'd brought them the message smiling fondly after the kids, only to have her turn around sharply and leveling a cold stare at him.  
  
"They're good kids, and I am almost as protective of them as their father is. Don't you dare hurt them."  
  
Alex started picking up their messes and setting the half made structures on a desk to work on later. "I wouldn't dare. I...know what abuse is like and I wouldn't put anyone through the same thing."  
  
She looked him over before meeting him at the desk to help pick up the Legos, "I'm Maria."  
  
"Alex. It's nice to meet you." They finished the cleanup and then Alex excused himself to head for the dining room.  
  
"Finally!" Jack was quickly giving The Look, by his father, but he elected to ignore it in favor of chiding Alex for taking so long. "I'm starving! I feel like I'm gonna die!"  
  
Alex giggled and poked the boy's ribs as he walked passed him to take a seat beside Patsy. "Oh, you poor dear. I am so sorry for starving you. I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"  
  
He nodded solemnly. "Yep."  
  
Alex glanced to Washington, who was hiding his smile behind his glass, and Alex rolled his eyes. Sneaking his phone out of his pocket, he chatted with Patsy while he sent a quick text to his (hopefully) new boss.  
  
**You can smile in front of them, you know. They'd like that.**  
  
Washington wouldn't check his phone until after dinner.  
  
Patsy drilled him with questions about his life, his favorite color, favorite foods, and what he did for fun.  
  
"Mmm, I love green. I could eat my weight in Indian and hamburgers. There's a hamburger joint in town that just...my goodness they just melt in your mouth and the cheese just makes it perfect. I'll have to take you some time. And then there's an Indian place downstairs in my building; it's a little hole in the wall, but it's perfect. Let's see; I love to write. I do a lot of writing. I like video games, and I've been playing Overwatch here lately; I needed a guilty pleasure. Hmm, I'm an orphan."  
  
"What's a orphan?" Patsy asked.  
  
"It means I don't have a mommy or daddy."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"Uh, I don't know where my daddy is, but my mommy died when I was little." He wanted to get off of this subject; he shouldn't have said anything.  
  
"Our mommy died too."  
  
There was silence at the table, tense. Alex wouldn't say he was sorry; it didn't make him feel better when he was little, and he knew it wouldn't do her any good.  
  
"Well, she'd be proud of you and your brother, I'm sure." Patsy and Jack nodded at that, and everyone went back to eating while Alex tried to think of what to say next. What else had she asked? "Lessee. Do you like cheese and pepperoni on Ritz?"  
  
The kids laughed and wrinkled their noses, Jack answering for them. "No."  
  
"What? Shame. That's my favorite midnight snack. Cut off chunks of Colby from a block of cheese, pepperoni slices, and Ritz is like, my bread and butter."  
  
"Ew."  
  
"Well then tell me what snacks you like."  
  
"Trail mix!" Patsy was the first to answer.  
  
"Oh really? Hmmm, maybe I can make you guys some sometime. Do you like chocolate Chex?" When he got a nod, Alex hummed to himself and went to making more plans.  
  
"So, Alexander, what curriculum do you plan to use?" Alex had forgotten why he was here. Whoops.  
  
"I had planned an A Beka system, but I plan to mix it with a curriculum used in the magnet school in town. I'll have a bit more freedom for field trips with them."  
  
"I like field trips."  
  
"I feel that Jack. They're fun."  
  
"Where would we go?"  
  
"I was thinking the Smithsonian, we could go every day, all day, for two weeks and we still wouldn't see everything. And then there are plenty of festivals we can go to. Greek Fest is my favorite. Like, I can show you guys what a GOOD gyro tastes like. Or make some here. The sauce they use is easy to make, but I normally put extra garlic in it. Mmmm gyros. My word, nothing else can beat a good gyro." Alex smiled and quickly finished his meal before sitting back to finish chatting with them.  
  
Dinner passed by quickly and the four of them enjoyed their conversations. It was fun to listen to the kids go on about what they liked to do and see. Jack apparently wanted to be an astronaut and Patsy wanted to do what her father did. Maybe. That, or race horses. The difference in the two was hilarious, but Alex bit back an amused grin that matched Washington's. He liked it here already, and he hoped that Washington would hire him.  
  
True to his word, Alex pulled up the Hobbit on his phone and read to the kids before putting them to bed. He got through the first chapter before both kids were drooping. When he left them, Washington was waiting at the door for him and motioned for Alex to follow him. They found themselves in the library and Alex had a hard time focusing on Washington until the man cleared his throat. He was doing that a lot today.  
  
"S-sorry. I can't help myself."  
  
Washington waved it off, "It's fine. Jack and Patsy are the same way. They get it from their mother. But that's not why I brought you in here." They each took a seat before he continued. "I like your idea for their education. So, send me a list of what you need, and I'll have it ordered for you. Any materials, just ask."  
  
Alex couldn't help the bubbling anticipation and hope in his stomach, "So does this mean I'm hired? I haven't even been here the full 24 hours like you wanted."  
  
The senator smiled and leaned back in his chair, "Unless you do something drastically stupid between now and tomorrow afternoon, yes, you're hired. I'll have the tax forms and what not sent to you, and we'll set up an account for your paychecks. Do you mind a drug test?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Good. You'll have one done Monday morning at 11 am."  
  
"You said I would be moving in, sir?" He was almost afraid to ask, afraid to be hopeful.  
  
"Yes. If you can swing it, I'd like you to be finished moving in by Friday. As for your lease, I'll buy out your portion of it so that your friends don't have to worry about it."  
  
Alex snorted, "The fact that you know who I live with it a little worrying. Also, Lafayette said he'd met you when you both were younger."  
  
Washington's eyes lit up, "You know Gilbert? Damn, small world...how did you two meet?"  
  
Alex felt himself relaxing slowly, the longer they talked. Both of them discussed their lives currently, and Alex drilled Washington on a bill that would remove protection of rivers, lakes, and streams from factories and mines. Washington was pleased that Alex knew so much about it and took comfort in the fact that he'd be able to talk politics with someone outside of work; he didn't have to put up a front. He was also pleased to see Alex talking so animatedly, and sent a quick text to one of the evening staff to bring wine for them.  
  
Their conversation went far into the night.


	3. Black Coffee And Giggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is a little shit  
> The kids love it  
> The staff just may hate him for it  
> They won't, actually

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this one.

Alex, no matter how late he went to bed, had a habit of getting up at the buttcrack of dawn. This was no different. He changed his clothes and left a note on Washington's door to let him know he'd gone for a short run and that he'd be back in a half hour. He followed one of the old tractor trails between fields, running through the damp soil and grass, breathing it in and smiling. Damn, he already loved it here.  
  
When he got back, he slipped through the back door that dropped him off in the kitchen and found Washington in there drinking coffee and leaning against the counter. The guy was already dressed and clean shaven for the day. Alex would admit that yeah, okay, he looked the man over a brief moment and then shook himself.  
  
"Where can I get some of that because that smells like heaven?" Alex padded over and poured himself a mug when Washington pointed it out to him. He took a sip of the unaltered coffee to see what roast it was before cringing. "Yikes. This is almost as light as everyone I went to school with."  
  
Washington choked on his coffee, laughing when he managed to set himself right. "I'm assuming the population was mostly white?"  
  
"Yeah." Alex put just a smidge of sugar and decided to skip cream until he could get a dark roast. "I was like, maybe one of four scholarship kids there. Everyone else was mostly rich white kids whose parents were paying for their Ivy League tuition." He raised his mug slightly, "Is it cool if I add coffee to a list or something to have here by the time I move in?"  
  
"Not strong enough for you?"  
  
"If the coffee isn't darker than the bags under my eyes then it's for wimps." They grinned at each other before going back to their silence and drinking their coffee. It was nice. Alex wasn't much of a morning person and having roommates who were ALL morning people tried his temper. But this? He could get used to this.  
  
"Do you run every morning or...?"  
  
Alex turned his attention to Washington and shrugged, "I try to every morning but it winds up being about every other day. And I'm usually tired enough that I can't go very far before I need to turn back."  
  
"So I guess you were tired this morning?" he asked, rinsing his mug out and setting it in the sink.  
  
"No. I slept long enough to go for maybe an hour, but I knew I needed to shower and be ready for the day before I woke Jack and Patsy up."  
  
"It's Saturday; they can sleep in you know."  
  
"True, but I must insist on dragging them into town to do a little shopping." Alex's eyes widened, "I-if you're fine with that, of course. I just figured that I'd let them help me pick up some of the project materials. Specifically for science. I thought that making a small garden and teaching them how to tend to them and the science behind it all and forced pollinating. Also, it'd teach them about bees and butterflies when it warms up a little more. Thoughts?"  
  
Washington smiled and nodded, "I think that's a nice idea. Speaking of, we need to go over your curriculum plan."  
  
"Yeah sure. The materials are in my bag. It's a rough outline, and I have a list made for what I'll need."  
  
\--  
  
They talked a little longer before Alex had to excuse himself to shower and get ready for the day. He needed to wake the kids up in about forty-five minutes. A sweater and skinny jeans and he'd put his kicks on when it was time to go. He slipped his glasses on and scurried to the kids' rooms to wake them up.  
  
Washington had warned Alex that Patsy was not a happy riser and Alex planned to change that.  
  
He hopped onto her bed and started screeching out a song.  
  
"GOOOOD MORNING! It's a braaaand new day. GOOOOOOD MORNING! Let's start it the right way. Mr. Sun is coming out anD HE WANTS YOU TO PLAAAAAY GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING!" And so on. Patsy glared at him for a second before recognizing him and smiling as he sang as terribly as possible. Only when she was a little more away did he start tickling her. The little girl squealed and squirmed under the blankets, gasping for him to stop. When he did, he poked her side.  
  
"'Aight, up. Go change and head for breakfast. We've got a field trip planned." She perked up and hopped out of bed, rushing to change.  
  
Alex wandered into Jack's room and jumped onto his bed too, but picked a different good morning song that required him to wiggle Jack's arms and tweak his nose and more.  
  
"Wake up the arms, wake up the arms, HOORAY! Wake up the arms, wake up the arms, it's a new day! Wake up the nose, wake up the nose, HOORAY! Wake up the nose, wake up the nose, it's a new day!" He cycled through the boy's limbs, earning a few tired giggles from the kid. When he sat up, Alex tweaked his nose again. "Get dressed and come down for breakfast. We're going on a field trip." Just like his sister, Jack was up and rushing to get ready.  
  
Alex went downstairs to make sure breakfast was ready for him and the kids, only to find Washington and the staff staring at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What was that god awful noise?" one asked.  
  
"Oh, they're wake up songs. My mom used them when I was little to get me up. And yes, they sound terrible; they're supposed to." He grinned at them and not one minute later, a stampede thundered down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
  
"Mr. Alex tickled me!"  
  
"Me too!"  
  
Maria snorted and passed them their plates, "How dare he, hm? So mean. What a terrible way to wake up."  
  
"That's what I'm sayin'!" Jack cried, joining his sister at the table.  
  
"Oi, you bums are up and dressed, and we're going on a field trip in a bit. You can't complain." They all chatted as breakfast was finished in record time. Jack took his Adderall, and both took their allergy medicine, and then they raced up the stairs to brush their teeth.  
  
"How on earth did you get them up so quickly?" Maria asked.  
  
Behind her, Tom snorted and started cleaning up the mess. "You'd get up too if it meant getting rid of that horrible ruckus."  
  
"Excuse you, but I have a nice voice when I'm trying. I was just being silly." With a dramatic sniff, Alex did an about face and left to help the kids finish. "Thanks for breakfast by the way!" he called on his way out.  
  
Today was going to be fun.


	4. Milkshakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go shopping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote Memory Pots for now, but that's not the correct term. I have to find out the proper name because they were actually jugs, but there was a spiritual meaning in what was plastered onto the surface. It was a sort of slave art/family photo album of sorts. Little odds and ends that reminded you of a certain family member that died.  
> I really can't remember the name of them though.  
> Memory pots until I can find out.  
> Sorry for the long wait. ^^'

Their day was enjoyable, and the kids seemed to have a blast.  
  
After hopping into the car that would drive them around for the day, Alexander immediately started to go over the gameplan with the kids. Home Depot first to get what they needed for their outdoor projects and then to the School Box to get the last of the educational materials. It didn't take long for them to shop at the School Box, which they wound up visiting first. They were in and out fairly quickly, the kids helping Alex pick out the books they wanted in each subject for their grade level, paid with the money his boss had left him, and then they were back on the road.  
  
Home Depot took them a little longer, the kids unsure as to which plants they wanted and with which pots. Alex encouraged them to get the plain pots so they could decorate them. Decorated pots grow better plants, he'd told them. They'd hardily agreed and grabbed the pots they wanted. Alexander looked at his list and sighed; they'd have to make a stop at a craft store to pick up paints and things. Although, he could grab a small tub of plaster while they were already here, and then let them pick out beads and things to make a "memory pot" or sorts. That'd give him a chance to teach them about history and culture.  
  
After they'd picked out the beads and marbles and tiny figurines, Alexander decided they'd earned a quick stop for milkshakes. Patsy went with a strawberry banana, Jack got "Chocolate Monkey" (it was just a chocolate shake with bananas and peanut butter in it), and Alex wound up with a mango and pineapple concoction. The pair insisted that they take a death by chocolate to the driver, because he loved chocolate, and so Alexander wound up buying a forth shake to take to the man.  
  
"The kids told me you're a fan of chocolate," he said conversationally as he handed the driver his milkshake.  
  
"Oh did they now? Little rascals are going to be the death of me with all of this chocolate." He sent a small but teasing grin their way, and Patsy started giggling.  
  
"It's called death by chocolate!"  
  
"Very fitting then. Thank you." He seemed sincere about the three of them treating him to a milkshake, and Alexander saw that as a point for him in one of the staff's good graces. That would help, hopefully.  
  
\--  
  
When they got home, George was just getting back, and he took in the mountain of bags they all carried in, plus the rest of their milkshakes. "You really shopped, didn't you?"  
  
"It looks like there's more than there really is." Alexander set the bags down and grinned at the kids. "Wanna tell your dad what we're doing tomorrow?"  
  
Patsy beat Jack in revealing their plans. "We're going to make memory pots to make our flowers grow!"  
  
"Oh, really? What's a memory pot?"  
  
"That's a lesson I'm teaching them tomorrow for their social studies lesson." Alexander winked conspiratorily at George.  
  
"Well, I look forward to hearing all about it when you finish." They shared a smile with one another, but the brief moment was interrupted when Jack held up his milkshake for George to try. "What's this?"  
  
"Chocolate Monkey."  
  
He faked taking a sip, giving Alexander a look that said it was his least favorite flavor milkshake in the world, but he hid it from his kids with a bright smile. "Mmm. That's good. What did you get Patsy?"  
  
"Mine's gone." She knew he was going to ask, and grinned when he couldn't get a taste. "It was strawberry banana."  
  
"You do like the fruit flavors, don't you?" She hummed and then the kids ran off to do their own thing for a while, leaving Alexander and George alone in the foyer with all of the supplies.  
  
"Can you help me carry these to the room we'll be working in? I can put the plants outside after."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Alexander deliberately did not look at Washington's arms when he lifted the heavy bags; he knew damn well that he would stare if he saw the muscle flexing beneath that tailored shirt of his. For now, though, he could pretend that he didn't want to stare at his boss.


End file.
